Crimped Bellflower

How many plants do you think have been around since before the last ice age? The wonderful Zois' Bellflower is one of them. It was found more than 200 years ago in the Bohinj Alps in Slovenia by the botanist Karel Zois, hence its name: Campanula Zoysii.

What makes it so special, apart from its unique flower form, is its hardiness. All alpines are hardy but this one will cope with winter lows of –35°C and put up with summer humidity, which many alpines will not.

Campanula zoysii is unique. While other campanulas share its lovely clear blue colour, they have open, bell shaped flowers, where the Zois’ Bellflower has a long, narrow bell which ends in a closed, five-pointed, star – despite this, insects do somehow manage to get inside to pollinate the flowers. The plant, like most alpines, is low growing, only 3 – 6 inches at most, and forms a small cushion or mat shapes. In June the flowers emerge and stud the green cushion with incredible sky-blue bloom.

It is a plant that requires cold treatment in order to germinate, so if you collect seed, you need to stratify it in a fridge to get it ready to grow. Seedlings will require 2 years to flower. It does best on limestone, so give it a very gritty soil. Unfortunately, after flowering, the whole cushion of the plant will retreat, sometimes resulting in the death of the entire plant. Fortunately, propagation of this Bellflower is very easy, either by cuttings in spring or by pinning down underground runners until they root.

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